Doug Dotson

I have been making functional pottery since 1991 and I never tire of making even the simplest cup. From slow moving wheel to application of fluid and silky slips and glazes to a soda firing that always produces surprises, the process provides endless fascination to me. The process culminates in meals with friends and family when the pots take their place at the table, quiet and lively.

In the 1990’s, I made my pottery in Durham NC in rented studio space often firing the wood burning kiln at Cedar Creek Gallery. I sold pottery at craft fairs, galleries, and home sales. In 1999, an inspiring 2 month class at the Penland School of Crafts provided motivation to begin teaching classes and to begin designing a studio to be built on the land I bought with my brother in 1997.

In 1999, I received an Emerging Artist Grant from the Durham Arts Council to a build kiln designed for soda firing. In 2000, I completed the construction of my studio in Chatham County along with the kiln. Nowadays, I sell most of my pottery directly from my studio.

I have been inspired by the teachers and artists at The Penland School of Crafts, local Triangle area potters and teachers, and all the world’s pots I have seen, held, or enjoyed using. My clay obsession happily continues in the Chatham County forest where I live with my wife Maura and two sons.